“Mass media from communism for young people” – A. Bardan, A. Momoc, G. Anghel

During the winter break of 2020, 15 students of FJSC (Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences) were invited to a project about a recent period in Romanian history, the hard Communism of the 80s. Alexandra Bardan and her colleagues Antonio Momoc and Gheorghe Anghel urged their students to approach the interview from a different perspective than in the courses, namely the life history interview. The resulting materials are true documents of social history. We are witnessing, therefore, a series of fascinating stories told through objects and media equipment naturalized in the domestic space of the house. Whether it is a television, a radio or a video device, it is important to note that they do not only come with the stories of the families that “hosted” them, but also bring their own stories, recorded in the year and place of manufacture, in the design and aesthetics of the object.

The objectives of the life interview were to reconstruct the stories of the media equipment. The interviews of the students were joined by the testimonies of Liviu Tofan, who at that time worked at the Europa Liberă radio station, and of the film critic Irina-Margareta Nistor.

“For those born after 1989, the events and experiences may seem bizarre, maybe even absurd. Just as it is absurd to consider the Danube Water Quotas a kind of entertainment. But ridicule is an attribute of communism.” (Andrada Fiscutean)

The volume also includes a “Note about the project Communism as understood by corporatists” by Oana Năsui.

Alexandra Bardan, Antonio Momoc, Gheorghe Anghel, coordinators – Mass media from communism for young people. Foreword by Andrada Fiscutean. Footnotes by Manuela Marin. Tritonic Publishing House, Media Communication collection. 252 pages